[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 57 (Tuesday, April 30, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H4128]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SAM GIBBONS WROTE THE RULES FOR THE COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of May 
12, 1995, the gentleman from California [Mr. Stark] is recognized 
during morning business for 2 minutes.
  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, it is a joy to get a chance to speak to Sam 
when he has to sit and listen to us.
  Mr. Speaker, I have worked with Sam my entire 22 years on the 
Committee on Ways and Means. It is interesting. Sam opposed expanding 
the Committee on Ways and Means when all of us new youngsters came on 
the committee. They had a nice little club and they really did not want 
to add to it.
  But once the caucus worked its will and the Committee on Ways and 
Means learned about democracy and expanded its membership, Sam turned 
out to be the fairest of the titans on that committee for opening up 
and sharing the responsibility.
  Mr. Speaker, he wrote the rules for that committee which stand today 
I think as a mark for other committees in its fairness and its 
openness. And many of us who worked with Sam for so long remember that. 
He could oppose you and he is not shy and he is willing to speak out. 
And unlike some of us, he does not need to learn more diplomacy and 
reticence because he has Martha, and Martha has been able to keep Sam 
mellow and happy when he has been fighting like hell for something that 
he believes in.
  Mr. Speaker, Sam wrote the rules for the Committee on Ways and Means. 
He is an expert on trade. Then in the last Congress when we were 
attempting to pass welfare reform, Sam sat through every markup with 
our subcommittee, even though he was not on that committee, and when 
the bill came to full committee it was the expertise not only from his 
experience as he had been with Medicare from the time he voted for it 
as an original bill but from all the service on the Committee on Ways 
and Means he was able to help us pull together that coalition that was 
able to present to the American public a health care bill that was 
fair, did not increase the deficit, and opened up health coverage to 
every American.
  I hope, Sam that he can provide that for you in your retirement and 
you can come back and share with us when under the leadership that you 
set, and the goal you set for us with the President, we will accomplish 
that.
  God bless you, Sam. We will miss you.

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